Scott Tucker, Level 5 announce driver lineup for 12 Hours of Sebring

Level 5 Motorsports and Scott Tucker have assembled a star-studded driving squad in their bid for an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in the 61st annual 12 Hours of Sebring

The three-time ALMS championship-winning organization will return to the P2 class with a pair of Honda Performance Development ARX-03b cars for open-wheel standouts Ryan Briscoe, Simon Pagenaud and 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. Sportscar veteran Marino Franchitti has also been retained to reinforce Level 5’s lineup, alongside nine-time national driving champion Tucker, who will be in both the Nos. 055 and 95 Siemens/Alpina Watch/Ohiya Casino Resort sponsored entries.

We’re really excited about our lineup for Sebring

Scott Tucker

“We’re really excited about our lineup for Sebring,” said Tucker, who has 89 career victories in sportscar racing worldwide. “When we found out that there would be competition in P2, we committed to one car and have since increased that commitment to our normal protocol of two cars. Sebring is always one of the most difficult races but I know we have a strong enough lineup and a strong team in Level 5 to fight for the win.”

Level 5’s lineup for Sebring features a mix of new and returning drivers, all capable of leading the team to victory. ALMS veteran Marino Franchitti has five series class wins and more than 20 podium finishes to his credit, including a second place finish in last year’s Petit Le Mans with brother Dario and team owner Tucker. Hunter-Reay, a former Sebring winner with Level 5, returns after his championship-winning IndyCar season, which saw the top American open-wheel driver earn four victories and seven top-five finishes driving for Andretti Autosport.

The two newcomers to Level 5 have also enjoyed a successful past in the ALMS. Briscoe, who is coming off a five-year stint with Penske Racing in IndyCar, earned four P2 class victories in the factory Porsche RS Spyder program in 2007-2008. Pagenaud, who captured 2012 IndyCar Rookie of the Year honors, won the 2010 ALMS LMP championship with Highcroft Racing and has been one of HPD’s leading development drivers.

“I don’t think anyone would argue that these are all top drivers,” said Level 5 Motorsports team manager David Stone. “Marino Franchitti has done a good job for us in the opportunities we’ve had with him, while Ryan Hunter-Reay has always been one of our choices for the races that we need third drivers. We’re excited to welcome both Simon Pagenaud and Ryan Briscoe to the team as well. Simon has been someone I’ve had my eye on for several years, and he was really good at our pre-Petit Le Mans test last year. And Ryan was a name that popped up recently. We had him in the car at Sebring a few days ago and things went well.”

Four of the five drivers participated in a successful two-day test at Sebring International Raceway last week, which also gave the chance for the team to shake off the cobwebs and prepare for the opening race of the 15th and final season of the American Le Mans Series.

Level 5 has rapidly become one of the most successful sportscar teams in America, having collected three consecutive team championships and 18 victories since its ALMS debut in 2010. Eight of the victories came just last year, including a historic 1-2 overall finish on the streets of Baltimore that helped propel Tucker to his third straight driver’s championship.

While the team’s post-Sebring ALMS plans have yet to be determined, Level 5 is preparing for a return to the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans this June, where Tucker will be looking to improve on his third place finish in 2011. Further details, including the full driver lineup, will be announced at a later date.

America’s oldest endurance race, the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida is set for 10:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16 from Sebring International Raceway. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET, and will also be available on ALMS.com for international viewers. The Series’ official website will also offer additional content, including live in-car cameras and timing and scoring for all users around the world.